Nature recovery on the Attingham Estate

Following ecological surveys, detailed design work, review of geophysical survey data and securing consents, delivery of the Lower Brompton wetland project began in summer 2026. The scheme will restore more natural water processes, create new wetland habitat for wildlife and help the landscape store water more naturally during periods of heavy rainfall and drought.

More than 2,000 visitors a day joined us for Attingham's Nature Weekend, which celebrated rivers, wetlands and wildlife across the estate. Working with local organisations, artists, researchers and volunteers, the event helped people discover the nature recovery work taking place and explore the role water plays in creating thriving habitats.  

Funding was secured for the next phase of woodland creation at Attingham, enabling plans for 28 hectares of new woodland to move forward. Work also began on developing proposals for further woodland creation across the estate, helping to create new habitats and increase resilience to climate change.

Five ponds were restored across the Attingham Estate in partnership with Shropshire Wildlife Trust, creating valuable habitat for amphibians, insects and other wildlife. The first leaky woody barriers were also installed to help slow the flow of water through the landscape, creating wetter habitats and supporting natural flood management.  

Practical delivery of a number of interventions aimed at improving our habitats for nature is starting to take place.  Our Ranger team has been designing woody debris barriers utilising guidance and principles based on best practice from the ‘Shropshire Slow the Flow’ project. 

We are also starting to restore several ponds on tenanted farmland as well as in the Parkland.  Ponds play a crucial role in nature restoration, providing excellent habitats for a variety of flora and fauna whilst also providing more water storage and flood management across the Estate.   

On Countryfile Sunday 18 May 2025, Charlotte Smith joined the team in an exciting conservation effort at Lambart Wood. Together, they worked to translocate deadwood, a crucial habitat component, to foster a more diverse environment for saproxylic insects. These insects, which depend on decaying wood, play a vital role in the ecosystem by aiding in decomposition and nutrient cycling. The episode also featured segments from Attingham and Dudmaston, showcasing their unique contributions to preserving natural habitats and promoting biodiversity.

Footage from Lambart Wood has captured a kestrel and a tawny owl utilizing the newly installed raptor posts. This exciting development demonstrates the effectiveness of these posts in attracting wild birds of prey to the area. By encouraging these raptors to hunt and feed in Lambart Wood, the initiative helps protect young trees from damage caused by small animals like mice, which can harm the shoots by nibbling on them. The presence of these birds of prey is a promising sign for the health and growth of the new trees in the woodland. 

During the spring months of 2025, we carried out a wide variety of ecological surveys to support our nature recovery work. Not only is it important to have a baseline against which we can measure the impact our plans will have on nature across the estate, but we are also keen to learn more about the existing wildlife and how it is using Attingham as a home.

We have undertaken surveys on ponds, wintering birds, and breeding birds, among others. We are extremely grateful to volunteers from Attingham, students from Harper Adams University, and local special interest groups who have provided much-valued support in surveying butterflies, bats, reptiles, and harvest mice, to name but a few. 

We carried out geophysical surveys across the Attingham Estate to deepen our knowledge of Attingham's rich archaeology and help inform planning of location and designs for the future woodland and wetland creation opportunities we are working with our tenants to explore.  You can read more about our findings here

Over 16,000 saplings have been planted at Lambart Wood on Lower Betton Farm at the southern edge of Attingham Estate. Nestled amongst a developing wildflower meadow, leaves are appearing on the saplings as they respond to the arrival of Spring. The woodland design aims to support natural processes to establish, creating a rich transitional habitat as the trees grows and transform the area over the coming years. We will be monitoring this woodland’s progress to inform how we approach future potential woodland planting both at Attingham and further afield.

With species-rich meadow grass establishing underfoot, a team from the Environment Agency, who has funded the woodland establishment at Lower Betton Farm, came to help get trees in the ground. The team enjoyed a sunny morning planting over 150 trees and hearing about the plans for the woodland which has a small area of Firs and Spruces for future Attingham Christmases designed into a primarily native woodland mix including Sweet Chestnut, Common Oak and Wild Cherry.

Students from Telford Priory School lent a helping hand by gathering sweet chestnuts and native berries in the parkland at Attingham Park. Afterwards, the students went down to Lower Betton Farm on the wider estate where they scattered and toed in the chestnuts and left the berries for the birds, all to help establish the new woodland. Buckets of thanks to everyone who came to help!